He brushed off her hood and dropped his lips to the top of her head. Meanwhile, his thumb massaged ticklish circles into her palm. Unable to resist the enjoyable sensation, she called his name.
“Sir Harij!”
“What?”
“Your hand is—”
“Only holding yours. That’s normal.”
It is? Does the rest of the world consider this kind of touch normal? As Rose mulled over his comment, Safina came back inside to check on what was keeping Harij.
Seeing his master in an embrace with his lover, the experienced butler withdrew to stand beside the door, his expression perfectly composed.
This butler is too skilled at reading the mood! He never interrupts when I need him to!
“S-Sir Harij!”
“Not ready to stop yet.”
“Not that! Mr. Safina just… Mr. Safina just wa—”
“You just think you saw him.”
As if! Rose had clearly seen him enter the room with her own two eyes.
Harij finally relented and freed her from his embrace after she started smacking him on the back.
“Then how about you send me off with words instead of a kiss? What loving words do you have for your fiancé?”
I forgot how much of a piece of slug poop this man can be.
Rose gnashed her teeth loud enough to hear them chatter as she glared up at Harij. He didn’t seem the least bit terrified of her angry face.
“You don’t know what to say? Then I’ll just have to teach you.”
Not wanting to lose, Rose uttered a single letter. “I…”
“…I?”
“I eagerly await your quick return,” she managed to sputter as she pulled her hood down past her chin. The next second, she was caught within his strong arms again.
Apparently, that was the correct answer. Rose buried her face in his chest and inhaled that scent of his that she loved so much.
I’ll stay up late to welcome him back home tonight, she thought as she rubbed her forehead against his chest.
Rose returned to the parlor where Tien was waiting only after she couldn’t see Harij riding off to work on his horse anymore.
“Welcome back. Your newlywed life seems to be more enjoyable than I expected—what a relief.”
“We aren’t newlyweds yet.”
“Hahaha.”
Tien looked as if he had more to say, but Rose’s scrunched-up nose stopped him. Mona stood beside the open door in Safina’s absence.
“You must be getting tired. Let’s take a break.”
“Tien… I’ve changed my mind about you—you’re the greatest right now.”
Tien was an angel for suggesting a break just as she was burning out from using her brain for things she usually didn’t think about.
Mona immediately reacted to the word break and prepared them tea. She also brought out the apple muffins Tien must have given her beforehand.
Rose thought the muffin would crumble in her mouth, but her teeth were met with a spongy texture. The more she chewed it, the chewier it became, fascinating her with its sponginess. She ripped off a piece with her fingers, and it pulled cleanly away.
She stared at the broken-off portion and gulped—it looked so inviting.
For a long moment, she debated whether to start from the tiny piece or to just sink her teeth right into the muffin. This was a divine dilemma to have.
Honeyed, golden apple slices poked out. Their tenderness was evident from a mere glance.
After a moment’s hesitation, Rose sank her teeth into the muffin. This time, she could feel the tenderness of the fruit. Sponginess and tenderness waged war in her mouth, satisfying her teeth with a texture bomb. The smell of butter and the sweet-and-sour apple on her tongue sent Rose to heaven and back.
“Since when did you become so fond of sweets?” Tien asked, surprised after watching her reaction with fascination.
Cheeks stuffed like a squirrel, she contemplated his inquiry.
Her interest in sweets—or rather, food—developed during her interactions with Harij. His visits delighted her. Eating sweets also delighted her.
The two became synergetic, granting Rose excessive amounts of joy.
“Since it makes you so happy, I’ll come with more next time.”
Until now, her life as a witch had been devoid of joy. She would get up in the morning, take care of the fields, go into the woods, gather ingredients, make her secret potions—basically, instead of living, she was just existing. She did what she needed to do, and that was basically it.
Because that was how she had been taught to live—because that was how the life of a witch should be, as far as she knew. To Rose, that was what it meant to be the Good Witch.
Tien seemed very fond of Harij for changing her outlook on life. His foxlike eyes twinkled.
Rose made short work of the muffin and savored the crumbs left on her fingers.
“I didn’t expect you to eat so many, but it’s reassuring seeing you with a hearty appetite. Glad I didn’t have to force them down your throat,” Tien commented, sounding relieved after watching Rose voraciously devour the treats.
It was such a drastic shift in tone, Rose felt inclined to ask, “What are you talking about?”
“Some of my customers have collapsed recently.”
“Illness? Poison?”
“It doesn’t seem to be anything extreme like that. It always happens suddenly, when everyone is drinking wine or relaxing. The oddest part: once the doctor rushes in, the symptoms have already taken care of themselves.”
“Heh.”
Many of Tien’s customers stood in positions of power and had the ability to change the very fate of this kingdom.
A hand reached out beside Rose while she was listening. Mona was trying to clear away the empty plates. Rose turned to the side to stay out of her way. Mona bowed her head, her face stark white, and hurried out of the room with the gathered dishes.
“She seems awfully terrified of you.”
“It’s rare for someone not to be scared of a witch—although she appeared more skittish than usual. Maybe she thought a witch and merchant were scheming how to destroy her country together?” Rose suggested with a light shrug, snatching up another muffin off the table.
“Maybe the sudden heatwave is getting to people.”
“People don’t rot in the heat like apples do.”
“It’s common sense in the southern nations not to stay out in the sun too long.”
Rose’s eyes sparkled with this new tidbit. As she was someone who never left home, Tien had been her constant source of information. He always brought her a new stack of books whenever he returned from a long journey peddling his wares.
“What are the symptoms—”
“Okay.” Tien flashed a foxlike smile. Rose shuddered. “Time to get back to work—we can return to this topic after we decide on your dress.”
Trembling, Rose mumbled, “Uh-huh.”